Italian arum
(Arum italicum)
This species is Introduced in the United States
Arum italicum is an herbaceous perennial that grows to heights of 12-18 in. (30.5-46 cm) tall. It is native to the Mediterranean Region.
Foliage
The dark green to gray-green leaves are arrow-shaped and from 8-12 in. (20.3-30.5 cm) long. . Leaves are mottled and have light yellowish-green to creamy white blotches along the veins.
Flowers
Flowers have a pale hood covering a white-yellow spadix, blooming in late May.
Fruit
Light green berries grow in tight clusters and change color to bright orange-red as they mature in late summer through early fall.
Ecological Threat
A italicum is able to survive the cold of winter in many regions. It prefers warm moist shaded habitats.
Citation
Rawlins, K.A., R.L. Winston, C.T. Bargeron, D.J. Moorhead, and R. Carroll. 2018. New Invaders of the Northeast and Northcentral United States. USDA Forest Service, Forest Health Assessment and Applied Sciences Team, Morgantown, West Virginia. FHTET-2017-04. Retrieved from https://bugwoodcloud.org/resource/pdf/FHTET-2017-04_New%20Invaders_NE.pdf
Winston, R.L., Andreas, J.E., Milan, J., DesCamp, W., Randell, C.B., and M. Schwarzländer. 2014. New Invaders of the Northwest. United States Department of Agriculture, Forest Health Technology Enterprise Team. FHTET-2014-12. Retrieved from https://www.fs.fed.us/foresthealth/technology/pdfs/FHTET-2014-12_NW_New_Invaders.pdf
Selected Images
Maps
EDDMapS Distribution - This map is incomplete and is based only on current site and county level reports made by experts, herbaria, and literature. For more information, visit www.eddmaps.org
State Lists - This map identifies those states that have this species on their invasive species list or law.
Invasive Listing Sources
- California Invasive Plant Council
- Jil Swearingen, personal communication, 2009-2017
- Maine Invasive Plants
- Maryland Invasive Species Council - Invasive Species of Concern in Maryland
- National Park Service, Mid-Atlantic Exotic Plant Management Team Invasive Plant List
- National Park Service, National Capital Region Exotic Plant Management Team Invasive Plant List
- Native Plant Society of Oregon, 2008
- New Invaders of the Northeast and Northcentral
- New Invaders of the Northwest
- New Jersey Invasive Species Strike Team 2017 Invasive Species List
- Non-Native Invasive Plants of Arlington County, Virginia
- Non-Native Invasive Plants of the City of Alexandria, Virginia
- Plant Invaders of Mid-Atlantic Natural Areas
- Virginia Invasive Plant Species List
- Virginia Master Naturalists Priority Species List
- Washington Noxious Weeds
- WeedUS - Database of Plants Invading Natural Areas in the United States
Taxonomic Rank
| Domain: Eukarya |
| Kingdom: Plantae |
| Phylum: Magnoliophyta |
| Class: Magnoliopsida |
| Superorder: Lilianae |
| Order: Alismatales |
| Family: Araceae |
| Genus: Arum |
| Arum italicum |
References
Common Name Reference: USDA, NRCS. 2010. The PLANTS Database. National Plant Data Center, Baton Rouge, LA, USA.
Scientific Name Reference: USDA, NRCS. 2010. The PLANTS Database. National Plant Data Center, Baton Rouge, LA, USA.